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Monday, January 31, 2011

The Awakening by Kate Chopin
First published in 1899
Source: I own a copy but this time I listened to it on Librivox

Edna Pontellier, 28-year-old wife and mother of two, is summering with her family at Grand Isle as they, and so many other wealthy New Orleans families, have done for a number of years, when her thoughts and feelings begin to make her question the life she has chosen.

In the late 19th century, Edna's path was quite set from the moment she was born. A young woman was expected to play a little piano, to paint a little, and to learn to become the wife and mother she was destined to become. Nothing more was to expected, nothing more was to be hoped for. But Edna had never fit the mold. She didn't marry her husband, Leonce, because she was in love with him; in fact, she appreciated not being in love with him. She married him for dignity, because he loved her and because her family did not approve. When the boys are young, though, Leonce begins to believe there is a shortcoming in his wife; he can't name it but knows that she's not a "mother wife." In this, he is right. Edna loves her boys, but more in the way that an aunt would rather than a mother.

At Grand Isle, Edna begins a flirtation with one of the sons of the owner. Robert LeBrun attaches himself each summer to one of the women staying at the resort but the women never really take him seriously. It is not until Robert leaves for Mexico that Edna realizes how deep her feelings for him have become. Her "mantel of reserve" has been loosened and once the family returns to New Orleans it becomes obvious that Edna is unable and unwilling to go back to life as she has known it.

As someone who is something of a modern day "mother wife" (I stayed home for a dozen years to raise my children), I had a hard time connecting with Edna at first. But I also had to acknowledge that doing that was my own choice, a choice I could quite easily not have made. A choice Edna did not have. When Kate Chopin wrote this book, it was considered quite shocking. After all, Edna eventually abandons her family and carries on an adulterous affair, something that would even today raise eyebrows. Today, it's considered a major achievement.

Chopin has populated this story with a wealth of characters representing all facets of life in this time period. Edna's friend Adele Ratignolle is the epitome of what a wife and mother was expected to be at that time. Mademoiselle Reisz, a single woman pursuing her own passion without regard to convention, becomes Edna's role model. Leonce is a man who loves his wife but thinks of her as not much more than a possession. The secondary and minor characters in the book are all in place for a reason, making it a book that is ideal for teaching.

But this story is much more than a lesson. It is a beautifully written work that is every bit as relevant today as it was more than 100 years ago.

14 comments:

I love The Awakening so very much. I have read it a number of times on my own and twice for different college classes. The last time I read it for a college women's lit class I was amazed by the some of the outrage it still stirs. As I grow as a women I have noticed my reaction to the story shifts a little with each reading, but it will always be a story that is very dear to me. I keep intending to do a post on this book myself one of these days as there is a lot I would like to say about it. Eventually...

You know, I read this book maybe 15 years ago, and had totally forgotten what it was all about. I of course remembered that there was a lot of controversy about it, but the plot and details had totally escaped me. I think it's time for me to grab my copy out of storage and give it another go. Your review of the book was wonderful!

I read this one a few years ago and feel it's one I should re-read (and with how short it is probably will one day). I don't remember many of the details other than the very ending. Your post certainly has me wanting to revisit the book sooner rather than later. Have you read/listened to any of Chopin's short stories? I tend to neglect short stories but have enjoyed hers in the past. Kind of run on similar themes as The Awakening.

This is sad but I bought a copy of this book not this past Christmas, but the Christmas BEFORE and I've yet to read it. It was stacked over in my formal living room and I forgot about it until I put the Christmas decorations away.

Gypsy Tree, I can certainly see where it could still stir emotions. Even though a reader may not agree that a woman should have had no choice but to get married and have kids, most of us still have a problem with adultery and abandoning your children.

Thanks for this review. I'd never heard of this book before, but it sounds like something I might like to read. It is definitely going on my tbr list.

Speaking of a woman abandoning her children as a hard topic, I read a book a couple of years ago called WITHOUT A WORD by Carol Lea Benjamin.It's not a great literary classic, it's part of a series of books featuring a female private eye in NYC who works cases with her dog Dash. (Named after Dashiell Hammett.)

The reason I'm mentioning this book at all is because the main storyline is about a young mother who has disappeared without a word. The p.i. is hired to find her. Well, after searching high and low, the p.i. puts the story together and boy is it a heart-rending one. The woman, it turns out, disappeared on a whim of her own accord because she felt unable to cope with being a mother and wife, something she'd instinctively felt she was just was not cut out to be. The VERY interesting thing about this story is that the author, Benjamin, makes you understand what could drive a woman to do this most desperate thing. You almost come to understand why this character does what she does. The ending is just right. Yes, this is a mystery, part of a series, but it is, in my view, an exemplary story told by a terrific writer.

Okay, sorry about running on so long, but one thing led to another. Didn't mean to hijack your blog. :)

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